Device for turning sheet-music



L. S. ANDERSON.

DEVICE FOR TURNING SHEET MUSIC.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. 1919.

1,328,976, Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

bevel gear 9.

LEE S. ANDERSON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DEVICE FOR TURNING SHEET-MUSIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Application filed September 15, 1919. Serial No. 323,690.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE S. ANDERSON, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, subject of the King of Great Britaimresiding at Detroit, county of "Wayne, State ofMichigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Devices for Turning Sheet- Music, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device for turning sheet music. It is particularly designed for use in connection with a piano or organ, or other musical instrument having. an upright music stand. The device is operated by foot from a pedal and is designed to allow the musician to be free at all times. The device as here shown is illustrated in conjunction with the music rack of a piano or organ. It is understood, however, that the device is not claimed merely for use in conjunction with such instrument.

In the drawings,'

Figure 1, is av front elevation of the music rack showing the device attached thereto.

. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the music rack showing the device attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section partly broken away, taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is an enlarged elevation of guide plate shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line VV of Fig. 3.

The music rack 2 is recessed longitudinally, as shown at 3. This recess is formed so as to provide a path or way for the longitudinal movement of guide plate 1, the outer surface of such guide plate being flush with the. surface of the music rack, The guide plate is heldinplace by'ni'eansiofi a strip or clip 3. Aifixed to the rear ofthe guide plate: is, a rackextending longitudinally thereof at approximately the central portion. designated as 4.. This rack is designed to. mesh with a pinion .5 carried. at the upper end of the shaft 6,. saidishaft disposed in bearings 7,7. The lower end of thisshaft is provided with a bevel.

meshes at right angles with the gear 8 which 7 Bevel gear 9' has at the opposite end the shaft 10, upon which it is mounted, a foot pedal 11. This foot pedal 11 is so disposed as to be easily operated by the musician. This particular arrangement of bevel gears and shafts might be varied to meet particular designs of instrument with which the attachment is used. It will be seen that the operation of the foot pedal 11 serves to permit motion from the shafts and gears heretofore described to guide plate 1 as the pinion 5 meshes with the rack 4 carried by said guide plate; therefore the operation of the foot pedal a predetermined distance will move the guide plate a predetermined distance within the recess 3 of the music rack. The face of said. guide plate 1 is provided with a series of racks extending longitudinally thereof in successive parallel planes designated in Fig. 4, as 12, 13 and 14-. Alternating with these racks and of slightly greater altitude, the ends of which somewhat overlap the ends of the racks, are guide rods 15, 16, and 17 for purposes hereafter described.

There is provided on the front of the music rack brackets 18 and 18 carrying shaft 19 upon which shaft are freely nounted pinions 20, 21, and 22. These pinions are held in spaced relationship one from the other by means of bushing or pinion hubs and are designed to mesh with racks 12, 13 and 14: respectively. It will be observed that the music rail is cut away in the rear of such pinions, as at 23, so as to permit the engagement of the pinions with the racks carried by the guide plate. Affixed radially to pinions 20, 21, and 22 are arms 24, 25 and 26. These arms are offset at their outer extremities so that the extremities will lie in substantially the same horizontal plane and will overhang the sheet music carried on the-rail of the rack. These arms are likewisev of varying lengths so there will be: no conflict in the individual movement thereof. The outer extremities of these radially-extending arms are provided with clips 24?, 25 and. 26 adapted to grip the sheets of mus c intended to be operated by this device. It 1s. apparent that the number of pinions and therefore the number of radially-extendin arms may be increased, if so desired. arried by pinions 2Q, 21,

and 22 are stops 27,; 28 and 29' which are adapted to be engaged by the guide 'rods 15,

l6 and 17 respectively when the pinions are revolved what amounts to substantially 180 degrees.

The operation of my above-described device is as follows:

As-the foot pedal 11 is actuated by the operator it transmits motion through shaft 10, bevel gears 9 and 8 which in turn rotate shaft 6 and pinion 5 which meshes with the rack 4 carried on the rear of guide plate 1. This serves to move the guide plate longitudinally in the slot 3 of the music rack a predetermined distance. When the guide plate 1 is in the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1 such movement will cause the rack 14 to mesh with the pinion 22 and rotate the same, which in turn would actuate the arm 26, turning the sheet music held in the finger clip 26 It will be observed that guide rod 17, in a plane parallel to but offset from the rack 1a and of higher altitude will come in con tact with the stop 29 carried by pinion 22 before the rack and pinion are out of mesh. This would engage the stop 29 carried by pinion 22 and will hold the pinion from revolvingso as to hold the arm 26 in position after the sheet of music has been turned. Continued successive operations will produce similar results through the engagement of the other racks and pinions shown in the drawings.

It will be observed that the mechanical movements of this device are all direct ones and that there are no springs or bands to get out of order and that the device is one of simple mechanical combinations.

Claims:

1. In a musicrack provided with a longitudinal recess, a guide plate seated in said recess for longitudinal movement, means for holding the same in position, means for operating said guide plate longitudinally Within said recess from a foot pedal, the pedal, a series of racks disposed successively in parallel planes carried by the face of said guide plate, a series of pinions held in spaced relationship from each other freely mounted on a shaft, adapted to mesh with the said racks carried on the face of said guide plate, radially-extended arms carried by said pinions provided with gripping fingers to grip sheets of sheet music and offset to overhang sheet music disposed on the rail of the music rack, a series of guide rods alternating with said racks and of higher altitude than said racks and slightly overlapping the ends thereof, stops carried by said pinions and perpendicular thereto, said stops adapted to engage said guide rods which alternate with said racks so as to limit the movement of said pinions.

2. In a music rack, a longitudinally recessed slot, a guide plate disposed for longitudinal movement seated in said slot, means for holding the same in position, a rack carried at the back of said guide plate adapted to mesh with a pinion, such pinion, means for driving such pinion from a foot pedal, said pedal, a series of successively disposed parallel racks carried on the face of said guide plate, pinions adapted to mesh with said racks through an opening in said music rack, a radial arm carried by each of said pinions offset to overhang the sheet music carried 011 the rail of said music rack, said arms being of successive lengths, grip ping fingers carried by said arms for holding sheets of sheet music to turn the same as the pinions are rotated by cooperating with the racks, stops carried by said pinions, rods carried by said guide plate adapted to be engaged by said stops to limit rotation of said pinions.

3. In a device for turning sheet music, a music rack provided with a longitudinalrecess, a guide plate seated in said recess and adapted for longitudinal movement therein, means for operating such guide plate, a series of racks caried on the face of said guide plate longitudinally thereof, disposed in successive parallel planes, a series of pinions carried on the face of said music .rack, each of said pinions adapted to engage a rack carried on the face of said guide plate, a radial arm carried by each of said pinions extended to overhang the sheet music, gripping fingers, one provided for each arm adapted to grip the sheets of sheet music to turn the same as the arm rotates about the axis of the pinion, means for limiting the rotation of said pinions.

4. In a deviceforjturningsheet music, a music rack longitudinally slotted to provide a seat for a guide plate, a guide plate positioned in said slot and adapted for longitudinal movement therein, means for holding said guide plate in position, a rack on the back of said guide plate, a pinion meshing with said rack, means for operating said pinion, a series of racks carried on the face of said guide plate disposed in successive spaced parallel planes, a pinion meshing with each of said racks, an arm carried radially on each of said pinions offset so. that the outer extremity lies in substantially a horizontal plane, gripping fingers carried by said arms, .to grip the sheets of sheet music, stops on said pinions, meansfor engaging said. stops to limit the rotation of said pinion as each pinion runs out of mesh with its cooperating rack.

5. Ina device of the class described, a guide plate adapted for horizontal movement, a rack carried bysaid guide plate, means for driving saidguide plate through said rack from a foot pedal, a series of racks disposed in successive parallel planes on the face of said guide plate, pinions dis posed to mesh with said racks, arms carried by said pinions provided with means for engaging sheets of sheet music, means for engaging each individual pinion after it has been rotated and just as it passes out of mesh to prevent further movement thereof.

6. In a device of the class described, a guide plate adapted for horizontal move ment, means for driving said guide plate, a series of racks disposed on the face of said guide plate in parallel successive planes, arms provided with gripping members for engaging sheets of sheet music pivoted for rotation and adapted for engagement each with an individual rack, means for holding each of said arms in its new position after the sheet of music has been turned and until the guide plate has been reciprocated.

7. In a device of the class described, a movable guide plate, means for driving the same, a series of racks disposed on the face of said guide plate in stepped relationship one to the other, a series of rods of slightly greater altitude than said racks disposed as ofiset continuations thereof, a series of pinions mounted for separate engagement with individual racks, radial arms carried by said pinions, means carried by said arms for engaging lndividual sheets of sheet music, a

stop carried on each of said pinions adapted to engage the rod which serves as an ofiset continuation of the rack which is positioned to engage said pinion.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

LEE S. ANDERSON. 

